Antifriction center-bearing for railway-cars.



l QJ; F, OCONNOR.` VHummm UENTER BEARING PoR RAILWAY GARS.

APYLIOATION FILED'JAN.17,1908. 'l v y Patented J an. 5, 1909.-

B' 5d? f l l M', m, @Wwe @MQ v inns for Railway-Cars, of which the following member or plate A which the diiliculttcs or objections herctoj l UNITED STATES PnTENT oEEIcnr.4

JOHN F. OCON NOR, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS. ASSIGNOR TO W. H. MIN ERCOMPANY, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

, ANTIFRICTION CENTER-BEARING FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

specification vof Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

l 190s. serai No. 411,25.

Application tiled January 17,

ploy to practically accomplish this object or result.` That is .to say, it consists in an antifrflction center bearing comprising an upper and a lower bearing plate, each furnished with horizontal or plainannular treads or bearing, faces in connection with a series-of radially arranged! cylindrical sectional rollers between the upper and llower bearing plates, each section of each roller being,Jr preferably about an inch in diameter and about three quarters of its diameter in length, so that the several sections may rotate independently of each other according to their radial distance from the king bolt or axis of the center plate. -The radially arranged sectional. rollers 4'are alternately Ylong and short rollers, the 'lon-g rollers having preferably/'about double the number of'se'ctionsthat the short rollers have'. By making the radially arranged sectional rollers alternately long* and short, l practically double the number of rollers between the center plates and thus eil'ectually utilize .in roller supports the available space between the center plates.

lt further consists in combining with the upper and lower center plates, an intermediate annular plate and an upper 'and lower series of radially arranged cylindrical 'sectional rollers, one set or series beingr interposed between the upper center plate and the intermediate plate and the other seriesor set being interposed between the intermediate annular bearing plate and vthe lower center plate.

. It further consists in combining with these parts, two roller spacingspiders, one for the upper` set of rollers and the other for the lower set of rollers, each furnished with a series of roller checking lips, one for each roller of each set, each operating to permit [its roller to turn in one direction and .to chock its roller from turning in the opposite direction, the chocking lips ofthe upper spider ermitting the upper set of rollers to turn wliien the bolsters oscillate .in one direcl'b all whom it may concern.'

IBe it known that I, Jol-IN F. OCoNNon, a citizen of the United States, residing, in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new' and useful.; improvement in Antifriction Center-Bear- 1s a specification.

My invention relates to anti-friction center bearings for railway cars or other vehicles.

In anti-friction center bearings for railway cars of the kind more generally in use and having an upper bearing mem er provided with a conical tread and a lower bearing provided with a conical upper bearingr face vor vtread and a series of conical rollers interposed between such upper and lower bearing plates, under 'the lenormous load ofthe'modern large heavy cars, difficulty and inefficient operation has been experienced, owing to the tendency 'of the conical. rollers to work radially outward in operation ,owingr to their conical form and to the conical treads or faces of the upper and lower bearing; plates and thus to produce a great cnd friction, wearing and binding action against the rim or rims of the bearing; plates, and where cylindrical rollers and lat treads have been substituted for conical rollers and conical treads, this has usually been done at the expense and added friction incident to the use of a number of radially arranged spindles or shafts to .hold the cylindrical rollers in radial arrangement, and also at the expense of diminshing the number of rollers to that capalrle oi being,r accommodated by the comparatively small circle at the inner ends of their radially arrangedspindles or shafts. The object of my invention is to provide an anti-friction center bearing of a simple, stron@` anddurable construction by means of fore experienced-with the conical rollers and conical treads on the upper and lower-bearina plates maybe practically overcome withy out occasioningl any other serious ditliculty tion in respect to each other, and the chockor inelliciency et action and without materig in fglips ofthe lower spider to permit the lower ally diminshing the number of radial roller f set of rollers to turn when thebolsters oscllsu pports between the late in the opposite direction 1n respect to each plates or otherwise weakening the center l other, wherebybot-h setsof rollers'are caused bearing. t0 al My invention consists .in the means I em.- they' ways rotate in the sarnedirection when.

construction of parts and devices and in the' fis i tical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

bolster of a railway'car or other vehicle, B

l plates.

the lower center plate D has a corresponding plate preferably snrronmling the riind1 of the owor platev D as the two runs tclescope'toe upper and lower center plates are connect-ed F F1.

cured thereto, E the intermediate annular ably about one inch in diameter anc three chock devices with which the roller spacing. `spiders G G1 are provided and H the king cylindrical rollers' turns always in the sanie,

dlrection My invention also, consists in the novel novelrcornbinations of parts 'and devices herein shown and described. i

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this speciiication, Figure 1 is a cen tral vertical section of an anti-friction center hearing embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view partlyin horizontal section' looking from tl e line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the plate B1 being removed, 'showin half of the upper center plate in plan. Fig. 3 is a detail ver- Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a part hereinafter to be described. Fig. 5 shows-a modiiication. A

In `the drawing, Arepresents the body.

the up er center plate secured thereto, C the truck liolster, D the lower center plate seplate, F the upper set of' sectional cylindrical rollers,each comprising a plurality of radially arranged cylindrical sections j', referquarters of an'inch in length, Fl the lower set` roller spacing spider and g the separate piece holt which connects thev holsters and center The upper center plate BA preferably has a plain horizontal tread er bearing face b, and

lain horizontal annular tread or bearing ace d; and the intermediate annular bearing plate E which is interposed between the upper and lower sets oicylindrical rollers F F1 is a lain flat ring or plate'with plain iiat paralle up )er and lower faces to hear against 'the cylindrical rollers. The center 'plates B, D are provided with intercngaging annular flanges or rims lIl d, the rim b1 of the upper gether. 'l`lie upper center plate B has a een tra-l opening ZP in which nts the annular huh d2 of the lower center plate. 'lhe annular hub di' of the lower center plate is provided at its upper edge with an annular recess d, andthe upper-'plate B with a similar recess()3 to receive a connecting ring li, hy which the together or' held in their assembled position after being once assembled by lmeans of a iange or lip df on the hub of the 'lower center plate adjacent to' said vannular recess d3 which is hammeredor,- turned down partly over the connecting K after the parts yare assembled. l v The roller spacing spiders GrlGlare` each furnished with a plurality,-ofectangular pockets [ql g2, one for each of the p cylindrical sectiona rollers F These rectangiilar pockets g1 g`2 are 4alternately, oi different lengths, the longer ones g1 being adaptedto receive four'ofthe sections-,f of the rollers F Fi and the shorter ones g2, two of such seetions'f. Each of the roller spacing spiders G is-also furnished with a plurality of openi ings g?, preferably of triangular shape adapted to receive the shanks g4 of the'separate piece roller checking devices g, the lips q5 of which operate to chock the roller add`acent thereto from turning when the holsters oscillate in one direction,vhut leave such roller tree to turn when the holster oscillates in the other direction. The roller checking devices g of the upper spider G vare arranged on one side of the rollers F and operate to chock the rollers F from turning when the oscillation of the holsters is towardthe le'it while the roller checking devices g fitting in the lower spider G1 are on the opposite side of the rollers F1l and operate to chock the lower set of rollers Fl from turning when the oscillation of the holsters is towardthe right. Successive oscillations of the holsters toward the left thus impart successive turning Inoveinents in one and the same vdirection to the` upper set oi'i'ollers F7 whilesuccessive oscillations of the holsters in the opposite direc- 1 checked or locked to the upper and lower center plates and the rollers contacting therewith. e

The spiders G and G1 lit loosely between the intermediate annular plate Eand the upper and lower center plates and theinter-- mediate annular plate E likewise fits loosely between thenpper and lower center lates. The upper and lower spiders G G1 wit i their loose removable roller chocking devices g arranged on opposite sides of their respective rollers thus serve. somewhat after the principle of a pawl and ratchet to impart movement in, one direction only to the interposed annulaiplate E through the cooperative action of the upper and lower sets of rollers As in my invention, the-upper and lower sets of rollers'F F1 alwaystnrn eat'ihy successively inthe same direction about-its own axis, and as the intermediate annular plate E always turns successively in the same direction, the entire periphery of each section of each cylindrical sectional roller is uniformly acted upon and wears uniformly without tendency to produce fiat spots there,

on, and the same also applies to the intermediate plate E, while the lupper set of rollers rotate about their own axes in' the opposite direction from that in which the ternately locked or chooked to the upper and 4 lower center plates and the rollers contacting therewith. In this connection it should be borne in mind that whenfthe upper center plate, for example, moves to the right, say one inch, (see Fig. 3), the axis of the upper roller moves to the right but half as far, or a half inch, and then when. the upper center plate swings back one inch roller now checked to the upper center plate, moves with it one inch to the left; so that the actual travel of tho-center or a-Xis of the Aupper roller is one half inch to the left. As the center plates have plain fiat horizontal treads or bearing faces and the rollers'are cylindrical, the weight of the car and its load upon the center plates and interposed rollers produces no tendency to causev the rollers to work or crowd radially outward and thus engender undue friction or' wearing against the surface of the spider against which the ends of the outermost roller sections abut. And as each roller is composed of a plurality of cylindrical sections, each comparatively short in length, the rollers and the sections thereof readily keep themselves in` proper radial arrangement without undue friction `,and accommodate themselves to the difierent amounts of travel each undergoes ac wording to the distance from the center of the center plates.

In the modification illustrated in 5, the huh is on the upper center plate, instead of on the lower one, the construction being otherwise the same. i

The upper center plate B preferably has a separate vpiece liningfor wearing plate B1 i11- side thesame forgicontacting with the antifriction rollers which can be removed and replaced with another when Worn. And the lawyer center plate D is preferably furnished rollers of the lower set rotate about their own axes. .The

the king bolt in,

to the left, the upper dially arranged antilindrical rollers between the, cen-ter 'plates,.

as specified.

vcenter plates, nately with a similar separate piece lining or Wearing plate-D1. The inner faces of these wearing plates B1 D1 are the tread faces.

.-I claim center plates, treads or bearing faces a roller spacing spider having alternately arranged long and short radially extending rectangular pockets adapted each to receivea plurality of cylindrical roller sections friction sectional cysaid radially arranged sectional rollers being alternately long and short ones substantially! as, specified.

1. The combination with upper andQlower each furnished with plain flat and a plurality of ra 2. The combination with upper-and lower Y center plates, each furnished with plain fiat -treads or bearing faces and a plurality of radially arranged anti-friction sectional cyl1ndr1cal rollers between the center plates,

.and a roller spacing spider furnished with alternately arranged long and short radially extendin rectangular pocketsadapted to rcceive a p urality of cylindrical roller sections, said 'radially arranged sectional rollers being alternatelylong and short ones substantially 3. The combination with l center plates having plain flat annular treads or l'iearingr faces, an intermediate annular plate roller spacing spiders between said inupper and lower termediate plate 'and said upper and lower each furnished with alterarranged long and short radially extending rectangular pockets and upper and lower sets of sectional cylindrical,rollers'between said plates, said radially arranged sectional rollers being alternately long anal short ones substantially as specified.

4. The combination with upper and lower center plates having plain fiat annular treads or bearing faces, an intermediate annular plate and upper and lower sets of sectional cylindrical rollers between said plates, an upper roller spacing spider having altermately arranged long and short rectangular poeketsand furnished with means for chockmg the. rollers of the u per set from turning when the bolsters osci late in one direction, and a loweriroller spacing spider having 'alternately arranged long and short rectangular pockets and furnished with means for checking the rollers of the lower `set from turning when the holsters oscillate in the opposite direction, said radially arranged sectional rollers beingalternately long and short Vones substantially as specified.

.nished with a hub and the other with an opening to receive said hub, said plates hav lng annular recesses to recelve a/connectin ring, a connecting rmg therein, one of sai plates 'having a lip adapted to. be bent down over said connectmg ring after the parts are assembled, substantially as specified.

7. IThe combination with .two oscillatory plates, `oi' an intermediate 4plate,-two sets of anti-friction devices, one on each side of said' intermediate-plate, two spiders, each having removable .chock devices `for checking or flocking the anti-frictiondevices from turning in one direction, substantially as specied. l, 8T The combination with' two .oscillatory in one direction .while ,30

plates, of an intermediate plate, two sets of.

anti-frictiondevices, one on each side of said I intermediate plate, two spiders, veach having removablechock devices, for checking or locking the anti-friction deniers from turning permitting them to turn in the other direction, substantially as specified.

9. The combination with two center plates,

I of an intermediate plate,` two sets of alterset from rotating according as the center i nately arranged long andish'ort yradially ex tending cylindrical sectional rollers, one' set. on each side of said intermediate plate and."v

means for alternately chocking rollers of each 00eme plates oscillate in one direction or tlegother, said radially arranged sectional rollersbeing alternately long and short ones substantially as specified.

10. '.The combination with two centerV plates, of 'anintermediate plate, two sets of alternately arranged long and short vradially extending cylindrical sectional rollers, one on each side of said intermediate plate, two spiders having rectangular ockets to receive said sectional rollers, eac furnished with chocking devices for locking the rollers from turning in one direction, said radially arranged sectional rollers being alternately long and short ones substantially as specified. 1 1.` The combination with two center plates, of an intermediate plate, two sets of cylindrical sectional rollers, one on each side of'said intermediate plate, two spiders, each having chockin'g devices for locking the roll- `ers'from turning'in'one direction, said chocking devices being removable, substantially as specified. v

1'2. The combination with upper land.

lower center plates, of a'roller spacmg spider having alternately arranged longJ-and short 'rectangular pockets orA openings to receive cylindrical sectional rollers and cylindrical sectional rollers each composed of a plurality of sections between said center plates and ttinV in the pockets ofthe .sp1der, said radia ly arranged sectional rollers lbeing alternate long and short ones substantially as specified. .l

. JOHN F. OCONNOR.

. Witnesses:

. WILLIAM A. GIEIGER, H. M. MUNDAY. 

